Sean McVay is 'too young to have a coaching tree,' weighs in on recent hires

He may only be 32 years old, but Sean McVay has already left his mark on the NFL. The second-year head coach has had nothing but success since taking over in L.A., becoming someone even the Rams’ rivals can’t help but call a “genius” and mention as Kliff Kingsbury’s friend.

Thanks to his 24-8 record and near-unstoppable offense, teams are taking a similar approach to the Rams when it comes to hiring head coaches. The first two guys to land head-coaching gigs this offseason are 39 years old with one of them coming from McVay’s staff in 2017: Matt LaFleur.

Kingsbury is the other, and despite having no NFL experience, the Cardinals took a chance on him as an offensive guru who they hope can help turn Josh Rosen into a Pro Bowler. McVay knows both coaches well and was happy to see them get hired this week.

“Yeah, that’s awesome,” McVay said of LaFleur landing in Green Bay. “I talked to Matt when he was going in to interview. Matt’s obviously – he’s one of my closest friends. So, to see that for him, you couldn’t be more excited. He’s a great football coach. Got a great understanding from offensive football. Really, a very – he’s just such a great guy, where he cares about people. He’s going to be honest with his communication. Then, he’s going to be invested in working really hard and trying to help put guys in good spots. But, when you see those types of things, you can’t do anything but just be really happy for a close friend.”

McVay also said he “couldn’t be happier” for Kingsbury joining the NFC West with the Cardinals and that the Rams will “try to get after him twice a year,” calling him a “great coach, great communicator.”

Kingsbury didn’t come from McVay’s staff like LaFleur did, but the coaches are viewed similarly. They both had limited experience when they were hired, are both still very young by NFL standards and excel on the offensive side of the ball.

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With LaFleur being hired and both Zac Taylor and Shane Waldron landing head-coaching interviews, it’s clear that teams are looking at McVay’s colleagues as top candidates. Still, McVay refuses to admit he has a coaching tree or that he’s the sole reason his assistants are garnering interest.

He says it’s a complete team effort.

“I’m too young to have a coaching tree,” McVay said. “It’s certainly humbling and flattering. But, I think like anything else, it’s a reflection of everybody that’s been a part of this. That’s what you love so much about football. But, I would say this: I’m put in a better position to succeed because you learn about how to listen, learn and then you lead based on the people that are around you here. That’s why you feel good about it.

“I think more than anything, it’s really the Rams success that we’ve had. If there’s one thing that you do realize over the last couple years is that, this is a product of great people around you.”

McVay is never one to absorb praise, always deflecting it to others. It’s just in his humble nature and it’s part of what separates him from other coaches around the NFL.

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